Skip to content

Archive for the ‘DIY’ Category

Wood Distressing Class at MIFF

My first class with Drew over at the Minneapolis Institute of Fine Finishes was a great success.  We spent three days painting, and distressing 5 wooden doors.  We did a lovely cedar finish with a walnut over lay, a tissue paper crackle cabinet door, a wood icing stained stencil door, a distressed crackle creamy yellow and a beat up looking brown door.

dsc02773(Here is a photo of the students working on the doors in the studio)

The students were all wonderful and really brought a lot of insight and innovative ideas to the finishes.  The greatest part of it for me was seeing how beautifully each door came out and how each finisher brings something new to the table.  We had people in the class ranging from a district manager at Hirshfields, to fine finishers and a DIY homeowner wanting to refinish her cabinets at home with out spending a lot of time.

dsc02775(this is one of the students crackle tissue paper doors)

I taught wood icing which was a huge hit.  People were very impressed with how the product really does stain just like wood.  We even did a test, taping off one half of a door and just skim coating it with wood icing, letting it dry over night and then staining.  The match was dead on, and it filled in all the nasty wood grain on the door we were doing charging the whole feel of the piece.  I’m busy now working on putting together a Full Wood Icing class for the studio.

dsc02779(this is the wood icing finish we did, developed by he wonderful Rose Wilde)

Thank you so much to everyone who participated in class.  You all were such a joy to work with and I look forward to seeing pictures of your beautiful works of art and will hope to see you in the studio again soon!

love, LULU

Disney World Half Marathon 2010

dis_marathon

Its official…as of just minutes ago my sister Sierra and I have officially registered for the Disney World Half Marathon.  Its going to be a first for both of us and I could not be any more excited!  I wont be beggining my training until Spring time but I know Sierra is already hard at work now.  Hurray!  Its going to be quite the challange for both of us.  Especially since we will be doing al

Here is the event info:

Event Name: 2010 Walt Disney World® Half Marathon
Date & Time: January 09, 2010 05:50 AM
Location: Walt Disney World® Resort (map)

Registration should be available for the next couple of weeks so I would love to encourage any of you to join us on our wild adventure and register as well.  It would be great to have someone to train with in Minneapolis this year!

disney_worldDisney World HERE WE COME!!!!!

Free Faux Finishing Workshops @ Sherwin Williams

I’ll be teaching a few different workshops throughout the year with my fellow painters Peg Malanaphy, and Terri Roberts.  The first one coming up in February is our You Got Glazed Workshop and it will be at the Sherwin Williams Store located in Stillwater.  We will be using  the 2009 color collection from SW in our class for all of the finishes.  We will also  provide you with information about there product Glaze “Illusions”.  I’ll attach the flier in case you didn’t get one in the mail, because there is a nifty 25% off coupon attached to it.  If you are not gonna use the coupon yourself, hand it over to your favorite painter.  They can always put coupons at the paint store to good use.  I’ll hope to see you there!

sherwins

and… NO that is not me in the photo!  tee hee

hearts.

LULU

Obama. Paints. Too

img_paint_a_house_for_katrina_familiy

There are days when I think to myself, “What am I doing?, this job is too demanding for a little thing like me, that ladder is too high, my tendinitis is flaring up…blah blah blah…”  Regardless of the hard times that come into play in my profession as a house painter, I LOVE MY JOB!  I love my clients! I love all of the beautiful colors that I get to paint everyday and making peoples homes help them feel happier about there nest.  I love watching a space transform with the most inexpensive of changes that has the biggest impact…PAINT!

I may not be out there changing the world like our new president, but I am out there making homes better, more beautiful and inviting places to be.  And that in itself makes me love my job even more.  Shout outs to Mister Obama up there… he does not know this but the very day that picture up above was taken was  my 26th birthday.   I turned 26 on July 21st 2006, (see lower right side of upper picture) and on my birthday two years ago our new President was painting a house for the Habitat for Humanity Program in New Orleans.  Our President was volunteering his time doing what I do best, and this makes me feel even more connected with what I hope will be even greater changes for all of us and our country in the four years to come.

This  little coincidence or piece in time reminds me of just how small the world really is.  Painting is something that President Obama did with his spare time to make a difference in peoples lives.  How very lucky I am to get to do this every day!

If you would like to volunteer your time painting like Obama you can visit: http://www.habitat.org/

obamaservice_233

Congratulations to Obama from little ol me, with paint brush in hand!

LULU

Darling Custom Handbags… Make yours @ LILL STUDIO

drea

The other day I met two lovely ladies carrying the most darling little handbags.  I of coarse felt inclined to let them know that there bags were super attractive.  They mentioned that they designed the bags themselves and then I was sold.  Its so easy!!!  You go on-line and pick the bag model that meets your fancy then, search through a wide array of lively and elegant fabrics to create your very own personalized purse or pillow!

You can watch a little diddy about LILL Studios below!


[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_bWdrjBqzM&eurl=http://1154lillstudio.blogspot.com/&feature=player_embedded]


If you rinterested in making your own you should go to there website @ http://1154lill.com/aboutlill/behindtheseams.asp

or You can view there BLOG @ http://1154lillstudio.blogspot.com/


I’m just in love with all there cute clutches and pillows.  My step sister Sierra will be thrilled that they have a Boston location, The closest location that I know of for us Twin Cities folks is in Chicago.  Thanks heavens for the Internet.

MUAH.LULU